Forevermore

Cathy Marie Hake, best-selling author of Fancy Pants, delivers a poignant romance set in 1891 Texas. Miss Hope Ladley believes God wants her to cook and clean for grieving widower Jacob Stauffer. But when Jacob hires the cheerful dynamo, he can't imagine the profound effect she'll have on his frightened sister, his motherless daughter, and on his own tender heart - or how much they'll all miss her if she leaves.

I really enjoyed Hope, who was true to her name. This was quite an uplifting story with lots of information making me want to research German immigrants to that region. I wasn't sure of what religious group they might have been affiliated with (i.e. Mennonite, Lutheran,...?). They probably said and I just missed it. The narrator was quite good too.

Room of My Own

This charming, old-fashioned story of a girl growing up during the depression will convince you that anything is possible. Against a backdrop of authentic hardship and despair, 13-year-old Virginia Eade discovers the true source of happiness. A doctor's daughter, Virginia spends her days dreaming of romance with "the two Charlies" - Charles Lindburgh and Charlie Chaplin. Soon Virginia is forced to give up her room to less fortunate relatives, and failed banks, closed shops, and breadlines crop up in her insulated world.

Ann Tatlock is a very talented author and did a great job of capturing what might have been going through a teenager's head during such stressful times. Her style inspires me to want to research some of the events described. The challenging thing is that many of the descriptions and thoughts were extremely drawn out, and I found this to be exhausting. I have to say the the faith-based messages were inspiring. There were two major story-lines that could have stood alone. This story might have worked better as two separate books.

Take This Cup: The Jerusalem Chronicles, Book 2

Nehemiah, the young son of a Jewish woman, a weaver from Jerusalem, is born and raised among the Jews who didn't return to Jerusalem from the Exile. Educated by Rabbi Kagba, one of the magi present at Jesus' birth thirty years earlier, Nehemiah grows up with the expectation of a soon-coming Messiah. Could the Yeshua of Nazareth, who is walking the earth, reportedly doing miracles, be that Messiah? When young Nehemiah must travel the long caravan road to Jerusalem, he is charged with an unusual mission...

These authors are very talented but this story just didn't' draw me in.

The narrator was pretty good. I would like to hear him read something else.

The story started out focusing on a young spinster and a distant cousin seeking a wife. The interactions seemed a little challenging and a little humorous. I was looking forward to them being major players in the story, but they kind of faded very early on. I really like historical fiction about family relationships.

Be aware that there's violence sprinkled throughout the story. The main character was different. A mixture of history and fantasy. The story itself seemed long and the characters didn't really "pop."

The Heiress of Winterwood

Amelia’s detailed plans would normally see her through any trial, but now, desperate and shaken, she’s forced to examine her soul and face her one weakness: pride. Graham’s strength and self-control have served him well and earned him much respect, but chasing perfection has kept him a prisoner of his own discipline. And away from the family he has sworn to love and protect. Both must learn to have faith and relinquish control so they can embrace the future ahead of them.

All Things Hidden

Gwyn Hillerman acts as a nurse at her father's medical practice in 1935 rural Alaska. Her family life has been rough ever since her mother, hating Alaska, took Gwyn's younger sister back to Chicago to live. Dr. Jeremiah Vaughan finds his life suddenly turned upside down when his medical license is stripped away after he loses an affluent patient. In a snowball effect, he then loses his engagement to Gwyn's sister, Sophia. When the government decides to send a group of families to Alaska in hopes of making a better life, Dr. Hillerman sends a letter urging Jeremiah to join his practice.

I can't seem to stay focused on this story. It just isn't holding my attention. The story line seems a little trite in spots. A character has a secret and is vacillating between hide or reveal. Meanwhile a sinister character will probably find out and threaten to tell. I listen for a while then need to turn it off. I have been turning on and off for more than a month and am just half through. It probably gets better, but I don't think that I will finish it.

The Governess of Highland Hall: Edwardian Brides, Book 1

Missionary Julia Foster loves working alongside her parents, but when the family must return to England due to illness, she readily accepts the burden for her parents' financial support. Taking on a job at Highland Hall as governess, she quickly finds that teaching her four ill-mannered charges at a grand estate is more challenging than expected.

I read the hardcopy first and loved it. In listening to the Audible version I noticed that one of the characters complained of having "...a devil of a time..." doing something. Detracted from the Christian inspirational theme.Other than that, the book was a comfort food sort of story and I would like to try other books by this author.

She Walks in Beauty

Multiple Christy Award finalist Siri Mitchell is acclaimed as one of Christian fiction’s clearest and most original voices. Set in 1890s New York City, She Walks in Beauty follows a young debutante struggling to reconcile the conflicting demands of culture, family, and love. Tasked with reeling in the city’s most eligible bachelor, Clara Carter must quickly learn to endure a corset, master the latest dances, and perfect her manners before making her social debut.

This was a fantastic, very moving story about the way society dictated and interpreted women's beauty in the late 1800's. The same sentiment dictated a woman's place as well. I am so glad that women are finding their own place these days. I love this author's style because she isn't afraid of exposing very real flaws in her characters, and her stories always seem to come to wonderful, thought-provoking conclusions. The story has a little mystery, a little humor, a little sorrow, a little shock, and was delightful to listen to.

SPOILER ALERT:I have to say that the story took me back to the mid-1960's when I was in nursing school. It was not uncommon to have patients with the same problem described in the story. It was also common for magazines to advertise gimmicks for cinching ones figure by various means. People still do some pretty crazy (sometimes extreme) things to compete for good looks. Sometimes the outcome isn't so great. i.e. falling off ones shoes and breaking a bone. I somehow doubt that things will change for the better.

All Things New

Fans of inspirational fiction eagerly devour historical novels from Christy Award winner Lynn Austin. In All Things New, the acclaimed author weaves a tale set in the aftermath of the Civil War. Josephine Weatherly and her mother, Eugenia, return to their Virginia plantation, but their once-grand home has lost its lustre. Jo’s father and brother are dead, and the war has left her remaining brother broken and embittered. Bonding with Lizzie, one of the few remaining servants, Jo struggles to rebuild her life....

Very well done story with excellent research, but it brought back some painful reminders of the 1950's when some horrific things were still going on. The author made a very good effort toward explaining the thinking of the time that incited people to lash out against their fellow human being.

Lynn Austin has done a great deal to encourage readers to embrace diversity through the Lord. I would love to hear her speak sometime.

Secrets on the Wind: The Pine Ridge Portraits, Book 1

Best-selling author Stephanie Grace Whitson is a two-time Christy Award finalist. Deep in Lakota Sioux territory in 1878, a torched farmstead is discovered by American soldiers. Hidden in the cellar is Laina Gray, delirious and pregnant. Nursed back to health by a woman who trusts God's healing hand, Laina recovers but continues to closely guard her terrible secrets.

This book is very well written and the experiences of the main character seem quite real. I think that Ms. Whitson accurately captured the anguish and despair that so many women have suffered at the hands of others. The narrator did a wonderful job as usual.That being said, I like to read to relax and throw off the burdens of the day, and I found this story a little too weighty to relax by. This one story won't keep me from looking forward to her other books. I absolutely loved "Sixteen Brides"!

Number the Stars

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943, and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.

This is a wonderful story of a family helping neighbors and others escape the nazis during WWII. It is presented through the eyes of an adolescent girl and is suspenseful as well as uplifting. I think that 12-year olds through old agers could gain insight from this story.

Sixteen Brides

In Sixteen Brides by Christy Award finalist Stephanie Grace Whitson, Civil War widows living in St. Louis are lured west by promises of prime homesteads in a booming community. When the unsuspecting women arrive at Plum Grove, Nebraska, sparks fly as they meet bachelors convinced they’ve come to marry them. The widows will need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances—especially since appearances are so deceiving.

I really enjoyed this one. If you enjoy Cathy Marie Hake stories, you will really enjoy "Sixteen Brides." Ms. Whitson's and Ms. Hake's writing styles are very similar. A little fun, a little suspense, and a warm ending.

This is my first novel by this author. I found it by looking for books narrated by Ruth Ann Phimister because I like her reading style.

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